2025-26 Season in Review: Bryan Rust

Monthly Splits

**via Yahoo!**

Story of the Season

In 2024-25, Bryan Rust posted a career year and many believed he was going to be a prime trade candidate last offseason as the Penguins entered another year of a rebuild. No one figured he could ever repeat the production from that season and his value on the market was never going to be higher. Everything pointed towards Rust being shipped out once his no trade clause expired and the Penguins stocking up more assets for their path back to contention. The summer came and went, and no trade involving Rust ever materialized, and the fourth longest tenured Penguins returned to Pittsburgh for a 12th season. Still, matching his career numbers from the season prior seemed like a stretch as he entered his age 33 season and the Penguins expectations were closer to bottom-five team in the league than a playoff contender. Of course, the story of Rust’s entire career has been proving people wrong and 2025-26 was the perfect microcosm of just that. Back alongside Sidney Crosby on the top line, Rust didn’t quite hit the 30-goal mark for a second straight season, falling just shy with 29, but that mark was still good enough to make it seven straight seasons with at least 20 goals scored. On top of the goal scoring, Rust did set a new career high in assists with 36 and was able to replicate his career best point total of 65 points, set in 2024-25, good for third best on the team. In the playoffs, Rust struggled to find his scoring touch like much of the rest of the team, registering just one goal and one assist in the six game loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Regular season 5v5 advanced stats

**Data via Natural Stat Trick**. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes. Corsi For%: 48.8% (12th) Goals For%: 53.6% (11th) xGF%: 50.0% (15th) Scoring Chance %: 47.6% (18th) High Danger Scoring Chance%: 51.5% (15th) 5v5 on-ice shooting%: 13.1% (4th) On-ice save%: .889% (14th) Goals/60: 1.02 (6th) Assist/60: 0.96 (10th) Points/60: 1.97 (7th) Not a great season analytically from Rust, but his scoring rates were still solid and shooting percentage remains near the very top of the Penguins lineup. His play driving numbers have dipped in recent years and the Penguins top line continues to be all gas, no breaks which leaves them exposed on the defensive end. On the whole, the entire team’s analytics improved the season which was evident from their place in the standings. Rust’ numbers did improve individually in several areas but not at the same rate as others so he was pushed down the rankings a bit.

Charts n’at

Via Advanced Hockey Stats and NHL Edge

Highlights

Questions to ponder

As another major offseason awaits the Penguins, fans may wonder if Rust could be a trade candidate once again. If it were up to Rust, a trade will never be in the cards as he has stated his desire to be a Penguin for life, a sentiment shared by many in the fan base as well. As the fourth longest tenured player in the organization, Rust has all the makings of a future captain should he remain in a Penguins jersey once Crosby, Malkin, and Letang hang up the skates. Unfortunately that is not how is always plays out of course, and with his trade protection expired, there could once again be questions surrounding his future with the franchise, unless of course Dubas has already determined his value to the team outweighs anything he could return in assets from being dealt away.

Ideal 2026-27

If Bryan Rust can keep copying and pasting seasons like he posted the last two years, then it’s an easy success for the Penguins. Rust turns 34 today and 2026-27 will be his 13th season in the league. Being on the wrong side of 30 is typically when players start to slow down, but Rust has posted the three best seasons of his career all after that mark. He may have failed just shy of reaching 30 goals again this past season, but he bumped his assist total just enough to post consecutive 65 point seasons. When the puck drops in the fall, you can expect to see Rust back on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby, a place he has called home for the better part of his career. As long as Crosby is on the ice and scoring at his regular pace, Rust will stack points simply by being a direct beneficiary of playing on his right wing. For a third round lottery ticket in the draft, it’s hard to ask for much more than Rust continues to give the Penguins year after year.

Bottom line

Death. Taxes. Bryan Rust producing. That’s been to story of Rust’s entire career and he somehow keeps posting more productive seasons the older he gets, bucking the conventional aging curve. From a bottom-six role player when he first broke into the league, to making his name with clutch playoff moments, all the way to being a staple on the Penguins first line with Sidney Crosby, Rust has paved quite the career path for himself. Now, as he inches into his mid-30s, Rust remains a constant with the Penguins and developed not just as a hockey player, but also a leader in the locker room. When one of the alternate captains is out, the “A” gets moved to his chest with little thought. Facing a daunting March schedule and missing Crosby and Malkin, Rust posted his best month of hockey all season when the team needed him most. That’s just simply the player he has become and continues to be 12 years into his career.

Final Grade

**A.** Rust just does what he does and it works. 2025-26 saw another 65 point season and a new career high in assists. His play helped carry the Penguins through March when Crosby and Malkin missed significant time. He wasn’t great in the playoff series against the Flyers but neither was most of the team. He still has two years left on his contract and hasn’t showed many signs of slowing down. Leave your grades for Rust in the comments and feel free to agree or disagree with our analysis of his season there as well.